LashawnLxs at 10:59, 28 April 2026

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{{Short description|Indian term for birth chart or horoscope}}
{{about| the Indian term for horoscope or birth chart|information about a wrathful deity or ''[[dharmapala]]'' in East Asian Esoteric Buddhism|Kuṇḍali}}

'''''Kuṇḍali''''' (also called '''''janmapatra''''') is the Indian term for the [[astrology|astrological]] chart or diagram representing the positions of the ''[[navagraha]]''-s of Indian astrology at a particular moment like the moment of the birth of a child. The ''navagraha''-s are the [[Sun]], [[Moon]], [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]], [[Venus]], [[Mars]], [[Jupiter]] and [[Saturn]], and the [[Lunar node|two nodes of the Moon]]. The nodes of the Moon are the points on the [[celestial sphere]] where the orbit of the Moon intersects the orbit of the Sun. At a particular moment the ''navagraha''-s will be at different points in the sky and they will be located in one of the [[Zodiac#Twelve signs|12 zodiacal signs]] (''rāśi''-s in Indian astrology), namely:

:1. ''Meṣa'' (Aries), 2. ''Vṛṣabha'' ([[Taurus (astrology)|Taurus]]), 3.''Mithuna'' ([[Gemini (astrology)|Gemini]]), 4. ''Karka'' ([[Cancer (astrology)|Cancer]]), 5. ''Siṃha'' ([[Leo (astrology)|Leo]]), 6. ''Kanyā'' ([[Virgo (astrology)|Virgo]]), 7. ''Tulā'' ([[Libra (astrology)|Libra]]), 8. ''Vṛścika'' ([[Scorpio (astrology)|Scorpio]]), 9. ''Dhanuṣa'' ([[Sagittarius (astrology)|Sagittarius]]), 10. ''Makara'' ([[Capricorn (astrology)|Capricornus]]), 11. ''Kumbha'' ([[Aquarius (astrology)|Aquarius]]), 12. ''Mīna'' ([[Pisces (astrology)|Pisces]])

A ''kuṇḍali'' will show diagrammatically which one of the ''navagraha''-s are located in which one of the ''rāśi''-s at a particular moment. A ''kuṇḍali'' has twelve cells to represent the 12 zodiacal signs. Practitioners of astrology in different parts of India follow different conventions regarding the exact form in which the ''kuṇḍali'' is constructed. Essentially there are three different ways in which these cells are represented in a ''kuṇḍali'', the one followed by people of South India, the one followed by people of North India and the one followed by people of Eastern India ([[West Bengal]] and [[Odisha]]).
<ref name="Vijaya">
{{Citation
| author = Vijaya Narayan Tripathi
| editor = Helaine Selin |editor-link=Helaine Selin
| year = 2008
| title =
| chapter = Astrology in India
| chapter-url =
| encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures
| publisher = Springer
| pages = 264–267
| isbn = 978-1-4020-4559-2
}}
</ref>

The practice of constructing a ''kuṇḍali'' ''per se'' is not unscientific or pseudo-science as the ''kuṇḍali'' is only a diagram depicting the positions in the zodiac of the nine entities called the ''navagraha''-s at a particular moment of time, and the ''navagraha''-s are associated with true astronomical entities. But, the practice of "reading" a ''kuṇḍali'' and interpreting or using it to predict the future events or the personality traits of individuals, has no scientific basis and is a [[pseudo-science]].<ref name="SandPSandAstroSoc">{{cite encyclopedia|author1=Sven Ove Hansson|author2=Edward N. Zalta|title=Science and Pseudo-Science|url=http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-science/|encyclopedia=Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy|access-date=6 July 2012|quote=[...] advocates of pseudo-sciences such as astrology and homeopathy tend to describe their theories as conformable to mainstream science.}}</ref><ref name="astrosociety.org">{{cite web|title=Astronomical Pseudo-Science: A Skeptic's Resource List|url=http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/pseudobib.html|publisher=Astronomical Society of the Pacific|access-date=13 January 2007|archive-date=30 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230053308/http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/pseudobib.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Hartmann">
{{cite journal|last=Hartmann|first=P.|author2=Reuter, M.|author3=Nyborga, H.|date=May 2006|title=The relationship between date of birth and individual differences in personality and general intelligence: A large-scale study|journal=Personality and Individual Differences|volume=40|issue=7|pages=1349–1362|doi=10.1016/j.paid.2005.11.017|quote=To optimise the chances of finding even remote relationships between date of birth and individual differences in personality and intelligence we further applied two different strategies. The first one was based on the common chronological concept of time (e.g. month of birth and season of birth). The second strategy was based on the (pseudo-scientific) concept of astrology (e.g. Sun Signs, The Elements, and astrological gender), as discussed in the book ''Astrology: Science or superstition?'' by Eysenck and Nias (1982).}}
</ref>

At the same time, some traditional practices also consider palmistry (the study of hand lines) as a complementary way to understand an individual’s tendencies and life patterns. While a kuṇḍali reflects planetary positions at birth, hand lines are believed to change over time, symbolically representing personal growth, choices, and experiences, offering another perspective alongside astrology.

==The different types of ''kuṇḍali''-s==

In astrology, the [[ascendant]], ''[[lagna]]'' or rising sign at a specified moment (like the moment of birth of a child) is the ''rāśi'' on the eastern horizon at that particular moment. The ascendant is specific to a particular time and place. The ''kuṇḍali'' format followed in northern India is ascendant-centric in the sense that it gives primacy to the ascendant and assigns a fixed location to the ascendant. But, the ''kuṇḍali'' format followed in the southern and eastern India are ''rāśi''-centric in the sense that they give primacy to the ''rāśi''-s. In these formats, the various ''rāśi''-s occupy fixed positions whereas the position of the ascendant changes depending on time and place.<ref name="Vijaya"/><ref>{{cite book |last1=Bepin Behari |title=Fundamentals of Vedic Astrology: Vedic Astrologer's Handbook I |date=1991 |publisher=Lotus Press |location=Twin Lakes WI |pages=115–117}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=P. V.R. Narasimha Rao |title=Vedic Astrology: An Integrated Approach |date=2001 |publisher=Sagar Publications |location=New Delhi |page=8}}</ref>

=== The ''kuṇḍali'' in southern India ===

[[File:Kundali 01a.png|thumb|175px|The ''kuṇḍali'' in southern India (numbers denote ''rāśi''-s). The dashed line indicates that the ascendant is the fourth ''rāśi''.]]

The ''kuṇḍali'' format followed in southern India is essentially a depiction of the zodiac exactly as it is laid out in the sky. The only difference is that instead of a circle a square is used and twelve smaller squares or cells are drawn inside the square to represent the ''rāśi''-s. The earth may be imagined as situated at the center of the larger square. The ''rāśi''-s are always in the same boxes. The [[Aries (astrology)|''Meṣa'' ''rāśi'']] is in the second cell from the left in the top row of the diagram (marked 1 in the figure). The remaining ''rāśi''-s are the remaining cells in the successive cells in the clockwise direction (marked 2, 3, 4, etc.).

The South Indian ''kuṇḍali'' is a ''rāśi''-centric format. The ''navagraha''-s are placed in the boxes corresponding to the ''rāśi''-s in which they are located. The ascendant is marked in the appropriate box. It is denoted either by a diagonal line or by writing ''Lagna'' in the appropriate box.

One advantage of this chart format is that it more closely resembles the actual astronomy of the sky. Another advantage is that, since each ''rāśi'' has been allotted the same area in the chart, this chart is much easier to populate with names of the ''navagraha''-s. As in the ''kuṇḍali'' formats of the other regions, there are no odd-shaped smaller sections that one has to squeeze the ''navagraha''-s into.

=== The ''kuṇḍali'' in eastern India ===

[[File:Kundali 03a.png|thumb|175px|The ''kuṇḍali'' in eastern India (numbers denote ''rāśi''-s)]]

The ''kuṇḍali'' format followed in eastern India is depicted in the attached figure. The format is sometimes drawn with a square showing the outer boundary (in the attached figure, the square drawn using dashed lines segments). As in the format followed in southern India, this format is also ''rāśi''-centric. The first ''rāśi'', ''Meṣa'' occupies the central cell in the top row of the diagram (the cell marked 1). The other ''rāśi''-s are represented by the remaining cells selected in the anti-clockwise direction. In the format followed in southern India, the cells are assigned ''rāśi''-s in the clockwise direction. This format has the same advantages as the format followed in southern India.

=== The ''kuṇḍali'' in northern India ===

[[File:Kundali 02a.png|thumb|175px|The ''kuṇḍali'' in northern India with fourth ''rāśi'' (''Karka'') as the ascendant]]

The ''kuṇḍali'' format followed in northern India is ''[[bhāva]]''-centric (or, [[house]]-centric). In traditional practice, each ''rāśi'' is a house or ''[[bhāva]]''. The beginning of each house is the 0th degrees of the ''rāśi'' and the end is the 30th degree of the ''rāśi''. What varies from is the enumeration of these ''bhāva''-s, i.e., which ''rāśi'' is the first ''[[bhāva]]'', which is the second, and so forth. This is determined by the position of the ''Lagna'' (the Ascendant) The house in which the ''Lagna'' falls is usually the first ''[[bhāva]]'', and the other ''[[bhāva]]''-s follow it, counter-clockwise, in the sequence of the zodiac. In the ''kuṇḍali'' format followed in northern India, the first [[bhāva]] is always in the topmost middle diamond. In this format, the ''[[bhāva]]'' that each section denotes is static. The ''rāśi''-s assigned to the sections change. This format is more of an astrological perspective than an astronomical one. The format is meaningless without numbering as the ''rāśi'' of each house cannot be determined without numbers. The ''rāśi''-s are numbered as follows: 1. ''Meṣa'' (Aries), 2. ''Vṛṣabha'' (Taurus), 3.''Mithuna'' (Gemini), 4. ''Karka'' (Cancer), 5. ''Siṃha'' (Leo), 6. ''Kanyā'' (Virgo), 7. ''Tulā'' (Libra), 8. ''Vṛścika'' (Scorpio), 9. ''Dhanuṣa'' (Sagittarius), 10. ''Makara'' (Caprocornus), 11. ''Kumbha'' (Aquarius), 12. ''Mīna'' (Pisces).

==References==
{{reflist}}

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{{Pseudoscience}}
{{Superstitions}}
{{Jyotish Vidya}}

[[Category:Hindu astrology]]
[[Category:Hindu astronomy]]
[[Category:Astrology]]
[[Category:Horoscopic astrology]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience]]
[[Category:Superstitions]]
[[Category:Superstitions of India]]

Kundali astrology - Revision history

LashawnLxs at 10:59, 28 April 2026